BEGINING TO CUT DOWN SOME TREES TO GET READY FOR CONSTRUCTION. >> I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD TAKE THIS LONG. TODD JAN HILL IS FINALLY SEEING : HER DREAM COME TRUE. HERE ARE THE FINAL PLANS FOR THE $3.5 MILLION LAURIDSEN SKATE PARK. IT WILL BE A NEW SIGNATURE DOWNTOWN ATTRACTION ON THE WEST BANK OF THE DM RIVER NEXT TO WELLS FARGO ARENA. WHEN ITS FINISHED THE 5 ACRE PARK WILL BE ONE OF THE LARGEST SKATE PARKS IN THE COUNTRY. >> IT IS A HUGE DEAL. TO SEE THE FINAL RENDERINGS, IT IS AN AMAZING SKATE HEART. IT’S BEYOND EVEN WHAT WE ENVISIONED WHEN WE STARTED ALMOST 15 YEARS AGO. >> I THINK WE DREAMED IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT GREAT. I THINK MOST PEOPLE THOUGHT WE WOULD SETTLE FOR SOMETHING LESS TODD SALLY BOECKHOLT AND JAN : HILL ARE TWO OF THE ORGINAL MEMBERS OF AMOS, THE MID IOWA ORGANIZATION STRATEGY. THEY FIRST CAME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR SKATE BOARD PARK BACK IN 2004. BUT IT’S TAKE THIS LONG TO MAKE IT A REALITY THANKS TO -- >> I WOULD SAY MAYBE A MILLION MEETINGS. TODD THOSE MEETINGS CONVINCED : THE CITY TO HELP DONATE THE LAND, AND PRIVATE RESIDENTS TO DONATE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THE DESIGN INCLUDES THREE MAIN AREAS, A LOWER SKATE PROMENADE, A MAIN PLAZA AND A SNAKE RUN, BOWL AND POOL AREA. THIS WEEK CITY PLANNERS SIGNED OFF ON THE DESIGN. AND NOW THE DIGGING SHOULD START ANY DAY. AND WHEN IT FINISHED, THE GOAL IS TO ATTRACT SKATE BOARDERS AND THEIR FAMILIES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. >> I KNOW THIS WILL BE A PARK THAT CHILDREN FROM ALL OVER THE UN

Final plans for a $3.5 million world-class skateboard park along the Des Moines River downtown have been revealed, and it’s taken 15 years to get to this point. The Lauridsen Skate Park will be a major attraction in downtown Des Moines. Crews have already begun cutting down trees along the west riverbank next to Wells Fargo Arena to get ready for construction. “I had no idea it would take this long,” skate park organizer Jan Hall said. When finished, the 5-acre park will be one of the largest skate parks in the country. “It is a huge deal to see the final renderings,” Hill said. “It’s an amazing skate park. It’s beyond what we envisioned when we started almost 15 years ago.” Hill and Sally Boeckholt are two original members of A Mid-Iowa Organization Strategy, or AMOS, a nonprofit community organization. They first came up with the idea for a skateboard park in 2004, but it’s taken this long to make it a reality. “We don’t give up or go away,” Hill said. Their many meetings convinced the city of Des Moines to help donate the land and private citizens to donate millions of dollars. The design includes three main areas: a lower skate promenade, a main plaza and a snake run, bowl and pool area. City planners signed off on the design this week, and now, the digging should start anytime soon. When it’s finished, the goal is to attract skateboarders and their families from across the country.“I know this will be a park that children from all over the United States will say, ‘That’s what I want to do this summer. I want to go to Des Moines, Iowa, and visit this skate park,’” Hill said. If all goes well, the new skate park should be ready to open in October.

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) —

Final plans for a $3.5 million world-class skateboard park along the Des Moines River downtown have been revealed, and it’s taken 15 years to get to this point.

The Lauridsen Skate Park will be a major attraction in downtown Des Moines. Crews have already begun cutting down trees along the west riverbank next to Wells Fargo Arena to get ready for construction.

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“I had no idea it would take this long,” skate park organizer Jan Hall said. When finished, the 5-acre park will be one of the largest skate parks in the country.

“It is a huge deal to see the final renderings,” Hill said. “It’s an amazing skate park. It’s beyond what we envisioned when we started almost 15 years ago.”

Hill and Sally Boeckholt are two original members of A Mid-Iowa Organization Strategy, or AMOS, a nonprofit community organization.

They first came up with the idea for a skateboard park in 2004, but it’s taken this long to make it a reality.

“We don’t give up or go away,” Hill said.

Their many meetings convinced the city of Des Moines to help donate the land and private citizens to donate millions of dollars.

The design includes three main areas: a lower skate promenade, a main plaza and a snake run, bowl and pool area.

City planners signed off on the design this week, and now, the digging should start anytime soon. When it’s finished, the goal is to attract skateboarders and their families from across the country.

“I know this will be a park that children from all over the United States will say, ‘That’s what I want to do this summer. I want to go to Des Moines, Iowa, and visit this skate park,’” Hill said.

If all goes well, the new skate park should be ready to open in October.